Pakistan should stop treating terror as a state policy: Former army chief VK Singh

New Delhi: India on Friday said Pakistan should “stop treating terror as a state policy” and ensure that all terror groups are considered as “pariah” in its own land if it was serious in its war against terrorism. [caption id=“attachment_2061865” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Former army chief General VK Singh. PTI[/caption] Noting that there is “great disillusionment” in its way of treating terror, Union Minister General (retd.) VK Singh said that there was always a “question mark” on Pakistan’s internal or intelligence policies. “As somebody looking at Pakistan in terms of seriously getting after terror groups, first thing that Pakistan has to do is to ensure that all terror group is treated as a ‘pariah’ in their own country. Then not only will Pakistan benefit, the the rest of the world will benefit as well,” Singh said during the India Today Global Roundtable in New Delhi. Answering a question about the Pakistani authorities claiming that the differentiation between “good Taliban” and “bad Taliban” does not exist and they would ban all terror groups, the minister said every time a terror group was banned, it morphed into something else and even Jamaat-Ud-Dawa has had government support. “The first thing which should happen…stop treating terror as a state policy. Somewhere, one finds terror is being used as a tool to further certain state objectives whether it is fanning trouble in Jammu and Kashmir… We found the way things increased when the elections came up and yet we had 65 per cent voting. This realisation must come,” Singh said. He said that things will change once Pakistani official establishment along with the army and people in decision making get after terror groups and make it visible in such a way that people realise their government is serious. He said that India, as a policy, seeks good relations with all its neighbours and has made it clear to Pakistan that till the time the atmosphere is not conducive, one cannot talk and improve relationship. Noting that entire India stood up to condemn the recent Peshawar attack, Singh said that while on one hand Pakistan condemns some terror outfits, it supports others which is why we see Hafiz Saeed free. “Where Pakistan’s policies are concerned…internal, intelligence or otherwise, they always have a question mark. You condemn and get after terror groups but there are certain terror groups you still support. “You say we will ensure that terror groups do not survive, yet Hafiz Saeed gets a reprieve. There is a great disillusionment when you look at Pakistan’s way of treating terror,” Singh said. PTI